The Manic Mechanic

I don't think I have to tell anyone that Elizabeth Taylor died recently, it's all over the news and blogs. But I just read where she has left the bulk of her estate to AIDS charities, including one she helped found in the 80s. Amazing. Even more astonishing is the gift will most likely be well in excess of half a billion dollars. That's with a "b", as in Carl Sagan's favorite word. Wow.

Ms. Taylor was an early champion of GLBT issues at a time when Ronnie Reagan would not lift a finger to help, much less even say the word "AIDS" at the most critical time of the crisis. To this day Republicans still vilify LGBT folk for their own political and monetary gain. As for you "gay Republicans" still talking up changing the party from within, stop with the delusions already.

Thank you, Ms. Elizabeth. Your diamond will truly shine forever.

Very rarely does any sort of advertising make me want to run out and buy a particular product. To trap me, your ad has to be clever, funny, memorable and especially, does not treat me as an idiot. One of the better things to do for my attention is to put the product through some sort of torture test. Few such companies have done this as well as Blendtec, with their "Will It Blend" series on the web.

Blendtec, of course, is the commercial blender company that also produces ridiculously expensive, commercial-grade versions for home use. To boast of the machine's capability, they will blend things that one would normally not put through a blender. Everything from cameras to cell phones, rake handles, hockey pucks, you name it, they run it through the machine. I like a healthy dose of destruction now and then. For the record, the blender does a number on everything run through it. Well, in their latest installment, I am one step closer to having one of these $500 machines. Why? Their latest victim is none other than an iPhone. Finally, something to counteract all the hype and practically religious praise I've been hearing everywhere for weeks on end.

Now, before any Apple loyalists blast me for reveling in the destruction of one of the most anticipated and hallowed gadgets, as Blendtec has done before, the remains are being auctioned off on eBay, along with some swag AND a new Blendtec blender, with all of the proceeds going to the Primary Children's Medical Center. As I write this, the bid is up to $1,126. Last time this was done (it was a powdered iPod that time!), the winning bid was a few grand. So, it's destruction for a good cause. Even if that cause makes a few people cringe. ;)